Recycling Taipei style
The Taiwanese government has invested a lot of effort into municipal waste services including a pretty extensive recycling program. I think it's safe to say that the little old ladies who mostly participate have got the Berkeley recycling scavengers beat in spades. Ok so the low tech version looks very similar to a shopping cart, but check out the massively loaded tricycle. This one gets piled high before setting out to a collection point- every trip has got to be worth while. In fact it's piled so high I have a hard time believing anyone can move it but they do! Another popular option is the scooter powered cart.
It's very much a tradition here to have an old lady down stairs/ around the block/at the garbage drop off point who takes all the paper, cardboard, plastic and metal cans which then don't make it into the regular garbage. It all has resale value. These ladies treat the recycling- crushing plastic, cans and stacking cardboard; then move it to a collection point where it's picked up for transit.
I think it's a fairly effective program, and the ladies make a living off it.